Posted on 04/06/2015 4:37:53 PM PDT by 9thLife
And Einstein did his best work in his 20's when he was an office clerk.
Not too many Grandma Moses's out there. For most of us, we do our best work early. Thank goodness for wisdom to fill void.
IIRC, “American Pie” recently overtook Righteous Bros “Unchained Melody” as the #1 hit in some polls.
The thing I remember liking about McLean from back then was that when the song was at its peak, he chose that New Year’s Eve, which used to be an ENORMOUS entertainment night, to perform at a small Upstate NY club where he’d been playing for years, in appreciation for their hiring him when no one else would.
I hate click bait.
But someone left the xake out, in the rain, all the sweet green icing, pouring down.
More than 40 years later and that tune does not register as worthy of rental. I remember it well, but have Papa Was a Rolling Stone in my library instead.
I assume that would be the Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs.
Thanks Moonman,
Great background on the songs.
Typical of what passes for journalism these days... just designed to get you to stop on the web page as long as possible so a flock of pop up adds can assault your senses and they can get your IP address and plant some junk on your computer.
I was a teenager when it came out and got so sick of hearing this song play over and over on the radio. They just ran it into the ground. Hate the song to this day.
Ogawd and they say "American Pie" is obnoxious.
His peak was probably 68-70, "Hey Jude" through "Let it Be." But I can't listen to Beatles pre-Sgt. Pepper, except for "Hey Bulldog."
I really like his '70s music, from "Maybe I'm Amazed" through about 1976. "Live and Let Die" and "Band on the Run" rank up there with his best singles with the Beatles.
My only knock against the Beatles and McCartney solo is their nonsense lyrics.
15 or 20 years ago McClean was on CBS FM with the DJ explaining the song line by line. I came in at the end and was sorry to have missed it. Still don’t know what half of it is about.
Might be on youtube somewhere.
Those bands don’t get radio airplay, they don’t get Rolling Stone/Spin/Mojo etc profiles, they don’t get “out” of the small club circuit. They may get album reviews but they don’t make the cut when it comes to being written about. They are excluded.
20 years on they remain ‘independent also rans’. And the local bands usually hang it up in 2-8 years. Some last 20 years but they still rarely get to open at the bigger venues for the touring acts.
It doesn’t fit the Bill Graham business model.
Billy Joel did an even simpler minded ‘free associations’ song: “We Didn’t Start The Fire”
“JFK. Blown away. What else do I have to say?!!!”
And those bands ‘growing through the ranks’ may get to play Letterman or Conan but they don’t get to sit on the bench for a hello or interview and those songs don’t make it to radio (for a single spin, let alone rotation).
Brand New Key stands out in my memory.
-PJ
“Castles in the Air is his real gem.”
Concur, and I’m glad you brought that up. It predated American Pie, and that’s when I started listening to McLean.
OK, it’s certainly an indicator of its time, of the “back to the earth” movement and rejection of modernity. But still, a good tune and great example of McLean’s talent.
Until I read your post, I thought the phrase was "the court kept practice in the park."
“Brand New Key stands out in my memory.”
I used to just hate that song. It took decades to realize how brilliant it is, in a tongue in cheek sort of way.
Anyone who’s been stalked by a girl who’s a bit off mentally will certainly appreciate it.
An old, wise friend once observed “Never sleep with anyone crazier that you are.”
Good advice.
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